Board game with levitating magnetic game pieces in a race

ABSTRACT

The game consists of a planar game board (10), a series of vertically extended pegs (18) along a track, and magnetic game pieces (20) that freely slide down pegs (18). Each player selects a plurality of game pieces (20) of one color to differentiate from other players&#39; game pieces (20). The object of the game is to be the first player to move all of his game pieces (20) from start (14) to finish (16). Players, in turn, roll dice, a chance device, and move game pieces (20) as indicated. Players&#39; magnetic game pieces (20) interact in exciting and unexpected ways. A game piece (20) landing on a peg (18) above another game piece (20) will either attract and capture, or repel and levitate, depending on their relative magnetic orientations, another element of chance. When a game piece lands on particular pegs (18) or spaces (12), the player draws a random card, another element of chance, which directs surprise moves such as forward, backward or flipping.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:

U.S. Patents Pat. No. Issue Date Patentee 4,328,970A 1982 May 11 Manno 3,556,526A 1971 Jan. 19 Currie 3,680,865A 1972 Aug. 1 Davis

Classifications

-   -   A63F3/00694 Magnetic board games     -   A63F2003/00022 Games played along a linear path     -   A63F2003/00738 Magnetic     -   A63F2003/00719 Connectible or stackable playing pieces with         connections among the playing pieces

Nonpatent Related Prior Art

-   -   Magnetic Match Rings, Popular Playthings Co.     -   Magnetic Ring Board Game, Vatos Toy Co.

Most existing board games with magnetic game pieces lack a plurality of elements of chance, a race along a track, from start to finish, and the excitement of levitation and interplay among players' magnetic game pieces. Many board games with magnetic game pieces don't take advantage of the fun and excitement of levitation. Some magnetic board games are designed to be educational for children from 3 to 6 years of age, and are not a game that would interest older children and adults. This board game bears little familiarity with any other board game.

In one referenced U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,970A, each player has a base, a vertical peg and magnetic discs. The object of the game is for one player to win all of the opponents' discs. Each player selects a color of one peg and multiple magnetic discs. A player drops a disc down the peg of the player to her left. That peg has one magnet at the base. If the dropped disc is repelled, that player takes back the disc. If both discs snap together, both discs belong to the player who dropped it. He proceeds to the next player to the left. One element of chance is a spinner device and the other is that it is unknown whether a player's disc will be attracted or repelled when dropped upon another player's peg. There is no race from start to finish. There are only two elements of chance. Repelled discs don't stay and levitate. There can't be multiple levitating discs on a peg.

One of the referenced games, U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,526A, is a three-dimensional game apparatus including a game board. The object of play is to effect token occupancy of three playing positions in a planar or interplanar line. Magnetic tokens provide for three-dimensional alignment of player tokens in three planes. An element of chance is eliminated because the faces of ring magnets are marked to indicate their magnetic field. There is only one element of chance. The game is static. There is no race to the finish. It is overly complicated and unexciting.

Another referenced game, U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,865, is played on a game board having alternate paths of movement. The object of the game is for one player to capture and control all of the other players' magnetic game pieces. Dice are rolled and there is magnetic repulsion and capture. An element of chance is eliminated because game pieces have visual identification to indicate magnet orientation. The fun and excitement of levitation or suspension of a game piece, or multiple game pieces, above other game pieces, as a result of magnetic repulsion, is eliminated, because there are no pegs. There is no race from start to finish. The game misses out on the most delightful and entertaining elements which are levitating game pieces and a race from start to finish.

In another referenced game that is apparently nonpatent, “Magnetic Match Rings”, the player selects one of 40 cards, each with an illustration of a pattern of multi-colored, ring magnets, stacked on a peg. The player simply tries to stack multi-colored ring magnets on the player's peg to try to match the stack illustrated on the card. There is no track with a race to the finish. There is no element of chance. There is no horizontal movement. There is only one player and no competition. The game is not for adults but is for boys and girls, age 3 and up.

Another referenced game that is apparently nonpatent, “Magnetic Ring Board Game”, is very similar to the Magnetic Match Rings game above, except four children can compete in this game. Each child is given an illustration of a pattern of multi-colored, ring magnets, stacked on a peg. Children compete to see who can be the first to duplicate the pattern with their own multi-colored, ring magnets, on their own pegs. There is no track or a race to finish. There is no horizontal movement. There is no interaction of a players' ring magnets with other players' ring magnets. It is not dynamic. The game is not for adults. It is an educational STEM science toy for boys and girls, age 4 to 6, for play and color recognition.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The game of skill and chance, for children and adults, is comprised primarily of a game board, on the planar surface of which is a plurality of contiguous spaces or segments, forming a track, with a peg in each space. There is a plurality of magnetic game pieces, each with a center hole. Each peg receives magnetic game pieces that slide freely down the pegs. Each player selects a set of a plurality of one color of magnetic game pieces to permit differentiation of players' game pieces from each other.

The object of the game is to be the first player to move all of his magnetic game pieces along the track, space to space, and peg to peg, from start to finish.

Each player, in turn, rolls dice, one of three elements of chance, indicating the number of spaces the magnetic game piece is to be moved. If a game piece lands on a peg with another game piece already occupying that peg, the relative magnetic polarities of the two game pieces are unknown in advance, which is a second element of chance. The top game piece will float or levitate above the lower game piece if they are of the same polarity. The top game piece will attract and magnetically capture the lower game piece when the two game pieces have opposing magnetic fields. All captive game pieces belonging to the player with the top, captor game piece count when crossing the finish. Captive game pieces that do not belong to the player with the top captor game piece do not count when crossing the finish.

When a player's magnetic game piece lands on any one of certain marked spaces or pegs, he or she is directed to draw a card from a stack of randomly, shuffled cards, a third element of chance. Cards direct players to make one of a plurality of possible moves that the player must make, including moving forward or backward a number of spaces, or flipping his game piece. If the game piece to be flipped is the captor of another player's magnetic game piece, they flip together which causes the captor to become the captive and the captive to become the captor.

In addition to multiple elements of chance, there is more excitement and interplay among players' magnetic game pieces based on skill and strategy.

The invention has many advantages over prior art. Magnetic game pieces are moved horizontally along the track, as well as vertically, in three dimensions, down pegs. Magnetic game pieces in most other games move either vertically or horizontally, but are rarely moved three-dimensionally. Magnetic game pieces can levitate. Magnetic game pieces can capture a single magnetic game piece or multiple game pieces. These and other features and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description when taken into consideration with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A VIEW OF THE DRAWING

A perspective view of one embodiment of the game showing a game board with a limited number of spaces, pegs, and game pieces in a variety of positions out of a plethora of possible positions, and a short track, in accordance with one embodiment. The limited number of spaces, pegs, and game pieces and a short track make the drawing and game more readily understood.

DRAWINGS - REFERENCE NUMERALS 10 game board base 12 space 14 start space 16 finish space 18 peg 20 magnetic game piece 22 levitating magnetic game piece 24 captor magnetic game piece 26 captive magnetic game piece

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION—ONE EMBODIMENT

The board game of skill and chance involves a plurality of players, each player moving his or her plurality of magnetic game pieces 20 along a track to compete to be the first player to move all of his magnetic game pieces 20 from start 14 to finish 16. The track is composed of a series of contiguous spaces 12, with a vertical peg 18 in the center of each space 12. There is a hole in the center of each magnetic game piece 20 enabling it to freely slide down a peg 18. Each player selects a plurality of magnetic game pieces 20 of one color to differentiate her magnetic game pieces 20 from other players' magnetic game pieces 20.

During the plurality of players' magnetic game pieces' 20 movements along the track, there is a plethora of new dimensions of unexpected and exciting interplay among the plurality of players' magnetic game pieces 20, from beginning to end, from start 14 to finish 16.

Each player, in turn, rolls the dice, one of three elements of chance in the game, indicating the number of spaces that player's magnetic game piece 20 is to be moved. If a player lands on a peg 18 already occupied by another magnetic game piece 20, the relative polarities of the magnetic game pieces are unknown, in advance, a second element of chance. If the polarities of the two magnetic game pieces 20 are the same, the top magnetic game piece 20 will become a levitating magnetic game piece 22, suspended in space above the lower magnetic game piece 20. If the two magnetic game pieces 20 have opposing polarities, they will attract and the top magnetic game piece 20 will become a captor magnetic game piece 24, capturing the lower one. The drawing shows multiple possible, potential combinations, orientations and relationships among magnetic game pieces 20, which may stack on a peg 18 or pegs 18.

One embodiment of the game is illustrated in the perspective view. The game has a thin base 10 of uniform cross-section, consisting of a piece of material, thick enough to allow for a plurality of holes of a limited depth into which a plurality of pegs 18 are inserted. In one embodiment, the base 10 is solid PVC, Polyvinyl chloride. In other embodiments, the base 10 may be made of any of a plurality of materials including, but not limited to wood, metal, acrylic, plastic, cardboard or any other material appropriate to the intended use. In this embodiment, the track is square, but can be rectangular, round, serpentine, or of any shape or design.

When a player's magnetic game piece 20 lands on a designated space, he or she is directed to draw a card from a stack of randomly, shuffled cards, a third element of chance. Cards direct players to make one of a plurality of possible moves that player must make, including but not limited to, moving forward or backward a number of spaces 12, or back to start 14. Some cards direct the player to flip his game piece 20, changing the orientation of its magnetic fields. When two or more opposing players' magnetic game pieces 20 are attached and the top, captor game piece 24 is directed to flip, then both magnetic game pieces flip together, the bottom, captive game piece 26, becomes the top, captor game piece 24 and the bottom, captive game piece 26 becomes the captor game piece 24.

All captive magnetic game pieces 26 belonging to the player with the top captor magnetic game piece 24 count when reaching the finish 16. Captive game pieces 26 not belonging to the player with the top, captor game piece 24 do not count when reaching the finish 16. In addition to multiple elements of chance, there is more excitement based on skill and strategy. Before a player rolls the dice, that player must determine and indicate with a marker which one of his game pieces 20 he or she will move in that turn. A player may decide it is to his advantage not to move his or her captor game piece 24 that has captured, or is in-control above one or more of another player's or players' game pieces 20, in order to prevent them from moving toward the finish space 16. Before introducing a magnetic game piece 20 into play, a player may strategize which orientation of polarities of that magnetic game piece 20 may be better.

Before play begins, players may agree to change the rules in a variety of ways to shorten or increase the duration of play. Using one die will increase the duration. Using two dice will speed up the game. Using more game pieces per player will increase game time while using fewer game pieces per player will shorten the game time. Also, before play begins, players will roll dice to see who goes first and who has first choice of game piece 20 colors. The second roll and second choice of color goes to the person to his left.

In this embodiment, the game board base 10 has a plurality of contiguous spaces 12 forming a track from start 14 to finish 16. This embodiment has a limited number of spaces 12 to better explain the game. The game may have a plurality of many more spaces 12 than shown in the perspective view. In other embodiments, there are only pegs 18.

A peg 18 is inserted in the center of each space 12. In this embodiment, pegs 18 are made of solid PVC plastic. In other embodiments, the pegs 18 are made of any of a variety of materials, including but not limited to wood, or any non-ferrous material, or clear acrylic plastic which enhances the appearance of levitating magnetic game pieces 22. Pegs 18 may also be white in color or of any color. Some pegs 18 that indicate a card must be drawn, may be of a different color or be marked in a way that distinguishes them from the other pegs 18. Players may agree where to insert the different colored pegs 18 before the game begins

Cards, dice and marker are conventional and therefore are not shown in the perspective v.

The invention has many advantages over prior art. Magnetic game pieces 20 are moved horizontally along a track, as well as vertically, in three dimensions, down pegs 18. Game pieces 20 in most other games move either vertically or horizontally, but rarely three-dimensionally. Players' magnetic game pieces 20 interact and interplay with other players' magnetic game pieces 20 and with their own magnetic game pieces 20 in a plurality of ways. One player's magnetic game piece 20 may levitate above other players' magnetic game pieces 20. A magnetic game piece 20 may capture or be captured by other magnetic game pieces 20. One player's magnetic game piece 20 that is at the top of a stack of players' magnetic game pieces 20 will be in control of the other game pieces 20, preventing them from moving. 

I claim:
 1. A board game comprising: a game board with a planar surface; a track of contiguous spaces and vertically extending pegs along said planar surface; a plurality of magnetic game pieces, each with a center hole, that freely slide down said pegs; a plurality of players, each having a plurality of said magnetic game pieces of a different color; a plurality of said magnetic game pieces interact and interplay, by attraction and capture, and by repulsion and levitation, suspended in space above a lower said magnetic game piece; a plurality of elements of chance; wherein a plurality of said magnetic game pieces are moved along said track in a race to be the first of said players to move all of his said magnetic game pieces from start to finish. 